New BBR buying director on expanding role

Berry Bros & Rudd’s new buying director, Mark Pardoe MW, has spoken of increasing the merchant’s New World offering and working more closely with its wholesale clients.

Pardoe recently took over from Alun Griffiths MW who had been with the St James’s merchant for 19 years. Griffiths has moved to become international director of Chinese importer VATS Fine Wine & Spirits Co.

Speaking to the drinks business, Pardoe explained that while very similar to Griffiths’ role, his directorship would be slightly different.

Having joined BBR 10 years ago, Pardoe has spent the last four to five years working with the company’s wholesale clients – through its wholesale arm Fields Morris and Verdin.

Pardoe stressed that he wished to continue working closely with FMV and the others as BBR had more particular “responsibilities” towards them than its other clients.

He also talked of BBR’s re-launched Hong Kong operation as well as its outlets in Japan and Singapore.

He said that he and the company’s other MWs and Italian buyer David Berry Green would be travelling regularly to Asia for tastings, dinners and other educational courses, “to emphasise the authority and tradition” of the company.

Speaking of which regions and wines he was keen to add to BBR’s portfolio, he said that he was keen to explore more of the “lesser known elements” in the wine world.

He explained: “I think at BBR we do the classics very well. We’re known for our strength and depth in classical European regions. However, I’m especially interested in the lesser-known corners. With BBR’s scope, it’s important not to forget the little corners.

“Our exposure in Spain and Italy has been growing but there are lots of nooks and crannies in France too.”

He also added that he was keeping “a little corner of my eye on China,” explaining that it was a growing wine producing country and one that would be looking to export in the near future.

More immediately he said he would continue the work done by his predecessor in exploring South Africa and he added that he was detecting a “second phase market maturity in Chile,” and the re-emergence of Australia as a “fashionable” country with more mature wines.